Cyclopia intermedia
Honeybush
Generally recognised as safeOther names: Honeybush tea, Bush tea
A South African shrub whose fermented leaves yield 'honey tea'.
An evergreen legume shrub with small leaflets and bright yellow honey-scented flowers; the fermented aerial parts make a sweetly fragrant caffeine-free infusion known as honeybush tea.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Plant type
- Shrub
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
- Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
- Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
- Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
- Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
- Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
- High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
- Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Quick overview
A practical summary; details are in the sections below.
- Safety grade
- Generally recognised as safe details
- Scientific sources on the card
- Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
- When and what to harvest
- Leaf — December–March
- Processing methods
Herbal infusion (tea), Fermentation, Culinary use
All methods and recipes on the card- Topics and symptoms
Anxiety & inner restlessness, Cough and mucus, Fear at bedtime…
Topics section, Symptoms overview
Identification and mix-ups
Erect, densely branched evergreen shrub in Fabaceae reaching about 2 m, with yellowish twigs. Leaves trifoliolate, deep green and leathery. Flowers yellow, pea-like, with a characteristically grooved standard petal and a honey scent; a circular depression sits at the calyx base where the pedicel attaches. Pods brown, seeds arillate.
Possible mix-ups and risks
The most likely confusion is with other Cyclopia species harvested for honeybush (e.g. C. genistoides, C. subternata), which differ in leaf form and flower details; they too are edible and non-toxic. No specific toxic lookalike is documented.
Similar herbs
- Rooibos
Honeybush and rooibos are both South African legume shrubs used for caffeine-free tea. Honeybush has broader leaves, a sweeter honey scent and a lighter infusion; rooibos needle-like leaves and a sharper taste.
Topics and symptoms
More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.
- Anxiety & inner restlessnessTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Cough and mucusTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- Fear at bedtimeTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- IrritabilityTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- TopicTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
- TopicTraditional· Traditional / cultural framing
Sources
Geographic occurrence
South Africa
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)
Harvest
- LeafDecember–March
summer
Region: South AfricaNotes: Young shoots in active growth; fermented after harvest.
Storage
- Airtight storage(Leaf)
Fermented honeybush keeps 2 years in an airtight jar; the honey scent fades after a year.
- Light:
- Out of light.
- Moisture:
- Protect from moisture and foreign smells.
Processing methods on this herb card
Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.
Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Microbial processing (fermentation) of plant material for drinks or foods.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Fermentation changes sugars, flavour, and microbial composition (e.g. herbal ferments, oxymels combining honey and vinegar per tradition). Hygiene, temperature, and time are critical for a safe outcome.
Home ferments should not smell "rotten"; when in doubt, discard.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
This is enzymatic oxidation, not a microbial ferment: the chopped shoots are wetted and held 24–72 hours at 70–90 °C (formerly in heaps in the sun, today in ovens), turn brown and take on a honey scent, then are dried. A farm process, not done at home.
Cooking, baking, seasoning as food — general category without therapeutic claims.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Culinary use covers herbs as ingredients in dishes, drinks, or spice mixes. This overview does not evaluate medicinal effects — only reminds you about species intent, allergies, and heat treatment where needed (e.g. some fruits or plant parts).
Combining with alcohol, sugar, or long cooking changes outcomes; verify culinary sources.
Traditional context for this method: no·Scientific context for this method: no
Traditional / spiritual use
Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.
Bergtee — the mountain tea that was still only wild-picked thirty years ago
General
Traditional useFolk useHerbal loreCape settlers drank honeybush as early as the 18th century as bergtee, 'mountain tea', and folk practice gave it for coughs as an expectorant and to children instead of black tea. Until the 1990s it was purely wild-harvested from shrubs in the Langkloof and Overberg mountains; cultivation began only with the research of recent decades. A record of tradition without clinical backing.
- Form:
- bergtee of mountain settlers in the Cape
- Claim strength:
- Tradition
- Source note:
- Joubert E et al. (2011), S Afr J Bot 77:887–907 (history and traditional use).
Scientific notes
Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.
How to read evidence strength and study type labels
Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.
Evidence strength
- Evidence level not specified
- The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
- Narrative / orientational literature
- Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
- Weak evidence
- Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
- Preliminary findings
- First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
- Moderate strength of evidence
- Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
- Stronger evidence
- Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
- Review article
- A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.
Study type
- Narrative / expert text
- Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
- In vitro study
- Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
- Animal study
- Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
- Observational study
- Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
- Clinical trial
- Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
- Randomised controlled trial
- Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
- Review study
- A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
- Systematic review
- Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
- Meta-analysis
- Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
- Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
- Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
- Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
- Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.
The review summarises the history, cultivation, processing and composition of honeybush (mangiferin, isomangiferin, hesperidin) and laboratory and animal data on antioxidant and phytoestrogenic activity; controlled human studies have not been done.
Narrative / orientational literatureReview studyYear: 2011Limitations: No clinical data; authors from a research institute tied to the industry.
Joubert E, Joubert ME, Bester C, de Beer D, De Lange JH — South African Journal of Botany
Images
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Safety
What the warning types mean
The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.
- Internal use
- Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
- Interactions / medicines
- Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
- Raw plant parts
- Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
- Toxins and regulation
- Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
- Contact with the plant
- Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
- Allergy
- Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
- Harvesting and contamination
- Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
No structured safety records yet.